Best of Beacons this Week: Google's Eddystone - Is it For Real or Just a Fad?

Our roundup this week is packed with informative nuggets and insights, right from what Google’s Eddystone means for businesses deploying beacons already, to how cinemas can use iBeacon technology to bring the thrill back to the movie experience. So sit back, sip a cup of coffee and check out the stories we have lined up for you.

1. Google’s Eddystone: How will it Impact your Business?

Last tuesday, Google launched Eddystone, an open BLE beacon format that takes the primary capability of beacons – their ability to broadcast a unique number via short-range Bluetooth signals – and extends it to a greater degree. While Google entering the beacon space is something we all welcome, it doesn’t really change a whole lot for businesses deploying beacons already. This is because iBeacon (though unofficially) has been supported on Android since the very beginning. Check out this article to learn about the basic differences between Eddystone and iBeacon and what it means for businesses that are already deploying beacons.

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2. Monticello Launches new iBeacon-powered app that lets you walk in the footsteps of Jefferson’s slaves

Thomas Jefferson Foundation recently commissioned a new app, Slavery at Monticello: Life and Work on Mulberry Row, that allows visitors to experience hyper-localized stories about the slaves who lived and worked on Mulberry Row, once the industrial hub and “Main Street” of Thomas Jefferson’s 5,000-acre plantation. The app uses iBeacon and geo-location technology, to empower visitors to design their own tour, by automatically detecting their location on Mulberry Row and presenting relevant information about the workshops, storehouses and dwellings that once stood nearby. Check out this article to learn in detail about how the Slavery at Monticello app uses beacons to explore a lost world.

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3. Platform Pulse: Beacons could soon be everywhere

In their effort to grab the attention of marketers, of recent, several platforms have been trending towards offering monetization capabilities via commerce, and not just advertising. Some of the developments in this direction include, Google’s buy button for mobile search and Facebook shops. And pushing this forward, last week Google launched Eddystone, an open BLE beacon format that takes the primary capability of beacons and extends it to a greater degree. However, many experts are of the opinion that, while marketers should be experimenting with these opportunities, they are not likely to be a big source of revenue for some time. Check out this article to learn about the biggest mobile platform developments in detail.

4. Six ways Beacons can bring the thrill back to the Cinemas

Of recent, a number of entertainment brands and film studios have been looking to tap into beacons and hyperlocal mobile technology in their efforts to build loyalty programs and upsell to moviegoers. However, without a solid standalone application in place to drive repeat traffic and engagement, entertainment marketers still have a long way to go. But once they partner with a movie chain that already has a sophisticated mobile app, beacons can revolutionize cinema experience right from driving mobile ticket sales to mall shoppers, to selling merchandise. Check out this article to learn how cinemas like Odeon Cinemas and NBCUniversal are using iBeacon technology to bring back the thrill to the movie-going experience.

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5. The legal ABCs of Beacons for Retailers

From retail to events, restaurants and malls, one of the chief factors that have fueled unparalleled excitement over beacons, is its ability to cater to the customer’s desire to receive personalized, contextual offers and content on their mobile devices. Despite all these exciting developments, quite a few marketers still have concerns around the legal implications of this technology, right from applicable data protection law to banking risks. In fact, this is one of the questions that keeps surfacing in most of our conversations with customers till date. Check out this ABC checklist for retailers, on how to assess and mitigate the legal risks around the use of beacons in the EU. You could also check out our earlier blog to learn about the myths about beacon security and privacy in detail.

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If you are planning an Eddystone beacon pilot, take a look at Beaconstac, that includes everything you need to kickstart your campaign in under 15 minutes. Using Beaconstac you can set up your own campaign, without a developer’s help!

Image Source: mashable.com